"A cultivator walks against the will of Heaven; if one loses their backbone, vital energy, and integrity, what path is left to follow? What truth can be sought?"

The Corpse Emperor sneered at the kneeling Little Daoist Zhang, next to whom a Daoyi Daoist now knelt. Baishui and Han He stood by, chuckling, nodding obsequiously while murmuring to Great Brahma. "Even if you disappoint Master Xuandu and the others, what you do now utterly disgraces the name of a cultivator."

A golden light swept from Gu Xiechen's eyes toward the three figures of Master Xuandu, hidden among the disciples of Kunlun and Zhongnan. Master Xuandu and Yunzhongzi were disguised as two young Daoists, their expressions utterly unchanged. Zhao Gongming, transformed into a dark-faced middle-aged Daoist, watched Little Zhang and Daoyi with mocking disdain; only out of respect for Master Xuandu and Yunzhongzi did he refrain from spitting on the ground.

Great Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu offered great encouragement to Little Daoist Zhang and Daoyi Daoist, praising their dedicated efforts in devising strategies for the Guardian Heavens, and urging them to proceed with extreme caution, ensuring they didn't jeopardize themselves in the pursuit of merit.

Little Daoist Zhang and Daoyi Daoist, trembling with apprehension, thanked the three titans for their kindness. They rose, bowed deeply to the three giants once more, and then stated their requirements. With a wave from Great Brahma, arrangements were immediately made according to their demands.

From the strongest Mana spring pool in the highest city tier of the Three-Linked Cities, Kashyapa—the Father of All Gods, ancient, majestic, and powerful in his cultivation—personally descended. He plucked nine golden lotuses from the pool and imbued them with his most potent incantations.

As Kashyapa plucked the lotuses, the Three-Linked Cities shuddered. The vast Mana within the cities' energy core suddenly diminished by thirty percent. This thirty percent Mana was evenly divided into nine portions, infusing the nine golden lotuses.

Kashyapa's incantations manifested on these nine lotuses as shimmering dewdrops, constantly rolling. When these dewdrops collided, the resounding chorus of billions of immortals chanting simultaneously echoed out. Massive fluctuations of spiritual power rolled forth from the dewdrops, transforming into a magnificent, colorful cloud that enveloped the nine lotuses.

Accompanied by the grand chanting, under the direction of Little Daoist Zhang, the nine lotuses arranged themselves into a precise Nine Palaces formation.

Led by Indra, the Eight Guardian Heavenly Kings who governed the eight cardinal directions of Heaven and Earth offered up their mounts: eight white elephants.

The eight white elephants responsible for guarding Heaven and Earth gathered, trumpeting to one another before soaring up and landing upon the eight outer lotuses arranged in the Nine Palaces formation.

The white elephants were wreathed in swirling clouds. They gently swung their trunks, raising a profound, unshakeable pressure, weighty and majestic like Mount Meru.

Vishnu laughed, pointing casually. From the Naga race—the most ancient assembly of great serpents, or dragon-snakes—one serpent, silver-white, ten thousand miles long, bearing nine hundred and ninety-nine heads, flew forth and settled upon the central lotus.

Little Daoist Zhang and Daoyi Daoist burst into loud laughter. Each holding a Grand Purity Talisman, they descended slowly, landing upon the central head of the great serpent.

Master Xuandu, Yunzhongzi, Zhao Gongming, and five other Daoists from the Zhongnan and Kunlun sects soared into the air. Wielding whisks, incense burners, jade chimes, and Ruyi scepters, they mounted the eight white elephants. Master Xuandu murmured an incantation, and the Grand Purity Talismans in the hands of Little Daoist Zhang and Daoyi Daoist flared brightly, sending surging heat waves into the bodies of the great serpent and the eight white elephants.

Stirred by the heat, the eight white elephants simultaneously raised their trunks and let out joyous trumpeting sounds. Their bodies expanded rapidly, and streams of golden energy erupted from their nostrils, weaving a canopy of golden light above the nine lotuses.

The great serpent, possessing immense power, was stimulated by the heat. All nine hundred and ninety-nine heads roared open simultaneously, spewing forth countless treasures.

The Naga race dwells deep underground. In the legends of the Guardian Heavens, they possess two layers of dwelling beneath the earth, having constructed innumerable cities. These great serpents move freely through the rock strata, accumulating immeasurable wealth. Their cities surpass even Indra's Heavenly Kingdom in splendor and luxurious extravagance, being the most magnificent cities in the Three Realms.

When this great serpent opened its mouth, the rare jewels it had hidden within its belly for untold years flew out. Gems the size of water vats, pearls as large as ox heads, and various jades and fine metals scattered forth like countless stars. These jewels, themselves condensations of Heaven and Earth's essence and nurtured for countless years by the serpent's vital blood within its belly, had transformed into artifacts of no weak quality.

The power of these jewels generally hovered around that of mid-grade immortal artifacts. However, their sheer quantity was staggering; the serpent spat out at least a million varied jewels. A million mid-grade immortal artifacts, all attuned to the serpent's spirit, combined to wield a power that was terrifying.

The faces of Great Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu twisted. They glared angrily at the king of the Naga race.

Several ancient serpents looked at one another, laughing awkwardly, and simultaneously expelled vast clouds of glorious treasure light.

Another million varied jewels shot forth, and notably, quite a few were innate-grade treasures. Nourished by the vital essence of these ancient serpents—who had existed since the primordial chaos and endured immeasurable kalpas—these innate-grade jewels, lacking only in spiritual sentience, possessed offensive power comparable to some innate Dharma treasures.

The eyes of the gods and Asuras turned green. They gazed at the members of the Naga race with ill intent.

The Garuda clan, whose lifelong enemies have been the Nagas since their birth, let saliva dribble from their lips. The Garudas traditionally fed upon the Naga snakes. However, they only preyed upon young serpents for sustenance; no great Garuda dared risk hunting these ancient serpents. But now, it seemed slaying an ancient serpent offered more than just a meal... many Garudas became restless. They simultaneously looked toward Vishnu.

Garuda, the Golden-Winged Great Bird, standing properly beside Vishnu, slightly opened his eyes, a flicker of fierce light momentarily crossing his gaze. He looked towards Vishnu seeking confirmation. Vishnu merely turned his head to smile at Yurivash, the Goddess of Prosperity standing beside Indra. Thus, Garuda nodded fiercely, agreeing to some of his clan's sudden decisions. Gu Xiechen, perched on the city wall, chewing on a boar's leg, watched this entire spectacle with a hearty chuckle.

Amusing, truly amusing! These Guardian Heavens were plotting and calculating against each other; it looked like a good show was about to unfold.

Especially Master Xuandu and his two companions. They had placed Little Daoist Zhang and the others within the Guardian Heavens thousands of years ago. Could it really be an act of benevolence, a willingness to open the gates of the Celestial Palace for them? Gu Xiechen didn't believe it for a second. They must have another motive, but what was their plan, what were their arrangements?

Under the personal blessings and enchantments of Great Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu, Little Daoist Zhang and the ten Daoists stepped onto the golden lotuses, transforming into a hazy, golden-hued mist of light, slowly flying out of the Three-Linked Cities. The golden lotuses lifted the eight guardian white elephants and the ancient serpent. The ten old Daoists stood upon these nine strange beasts, utilizing their fundamental power to forge a solid formation.

In the ancient legends of the Guardian Heavens, these eight guardian white elephants uphold the earth, and the most ancient king of the Naga race supports these eight elephants from beneath the ground. Thus, the eight elephants and one serpent subtly mirrored the stability of the earth, drawing upon the power that anchors the earth, rendering this small Nine Palaces Lotus Array extraordinarily firm.

Furthermore, over two million pieces of varied treasures and jewels swirled everywhere, each faintly shimmering with concentrated essence—rare and wonderful treasures that elevated the formation's defense to an astonishing level.

Coupled with the incantations Kashyapa infused with the collective hard-won Mana of countless ascetic immortals, and the thirty percent Mana extracted from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths by the Three-Linked Cities, this small Lotus Array, even without the Grand Purity Talismans, possessed the power to overcome the restrictions outside the Southern Heavenly Gate.

Thinking of this, the expressions of Great Brahma and the others changed abruptly—they possessed the power to deal with these restrictions, but they were incapable of organically integrating that power. Instead, outsiders like Little Daoist Zhang and his companions had effectively utilized this power to construct the Eight Elephants, One Serpent, Nine Palaces Lotus Array. "The wisdom of the cultivators, perhaps?" Tvashtar looked thoughtfully at the Priest, the spiritual mentor of the Gods.

The Priest frowned, glancing toward Taibai Jinxing, the spiritual mentor of the Asuras, who stood on the Asura side.

The great sages between the Gods and the Asuras both lowered their heads, sighing deeply. Then, they both looked towards Great Brahma. The Priest's lips moved slightly, and he remotely uttered something to Great Brahma.

Gu Xiechen's divine sense swiftly eavesdropped on the words spoken by the Priest through divine art. Despite the Priest's profound magic and mysterious divine abilities, none of his techniques held any sway against Gu Xiechen's divine sense. Gu Xiechen clearly heard the Priest ask Great Brahma: "Ruler of All Creation, have you not yet dissolved the seal of the Dual Sages and restored the portion of our origin that was sealed?" Great Brahma remained silent.

The Priest sighed softly: "Our wisdom that perceives all things; Tvashtar and Maya's divinely crafted skills; Indra's noble, fearless power... and the origin power of numerous other great spirits, even the profound power of you three—are they still unable to be released?" Great Brahma remained silent, so the Priest and Taibai Jinxing simultaneously sighed deeply.

Gu Xiechen had a flash of insight, seeming to understand something. The seal of the Dual Sages, the power of origin. The wisdom of the Priest and Taibai Jinxing was sealed; the craftsmanship of Tvashtar and Maya was sealed; Indra's inherent, fearless authority as Heavenly Emperor was sealed... No wonder the Guardian Heavens were acting so strangely.

Take the Three-Linked Cities: forged by the Asura craftsman Maya, yet now built by Du Kater's soul replica. Maya lost the ability to reconstruct the Three-Linked Cities—why? Because their core abilities were sealed! Gu Xiechen deeply felt that he had no idea what the Guardian Heavens would be like if they recovered their full power. The Dual Sages of Buddhism were indeed ruthless in their methods.

Outside the Three-Linked Cities, the Lotus Nine Palaces Array had traveled hundreds of miles. Silver light beams continuously shot towards them, but they only managed to shatter dozens of jewels shimmering in the void, failing to harm Little Daoist Zhang and the others in the slightest. The formation was as stable as the earth itself, entirely unmoved by the restrictions.

Gradually, the silver light grew denser, until finally, the void seemed to rain down vast sheets of silver light. The dense silver light collided with the rapidly swirling jewels, shattering piece after piece of treasure. But the great serpent at the center of the Nine Palaces Array opened its mouth again, spewing forth countless more jewels, increasing the count of swirling jewels in the void to tens of millions.

However, this serpent, due to the constant destruction of the wealth it had painstakingly collected over many years, wept copiously from its nine hundred and ninety-nine heads. With every jewel destroyed, a tear fell from the serpent's face.

This serpent possessed incredible, mysterious magical power. Every tear that landed on a white cloud instantly transformed into a small silver snake that shot out like a fierce bolt of lightning, striking the silver light rain continuously falling from the void. These tiny silver snakes possessed solid bodies and incredible speed, perfectly annihilating the silver light rain in the void.

Great Brahma laughed coldly: "See, if we could think of this method, we could do it ourselves."

Shiva stated coldly: "But not only is our power restricted, our wisdom has also been significantly diminished."

Vishnu sighed softly: "So, let these Daoists fight for us. At least for this stage, until we fully recover, they are useful... Once we completely dissolve those seals and regain our original power, they will no longer be necessary." Great Brahma said sinisterly: "Those Grand Purity Talismans are mine!"

Shiva and Vishnu exchanged a look and gazed deeply at Great Brahma. Great Brahma's expression stiffened slightly, and after a long pause, he reluctantly conceded: "If that is the case, of course, you shall have a share as well. After all, we are a trinity." The three stared at each other for a while before simultaneously turning away, refusing to look at one another.

Gu Xiechen excitedly rubbed his hands. Excellent, couldn't be better. These fellows weren't even bothering with the basic pretense of polite courtesy. This show was becoming increasingly thrilling. Of course, regardless of the final outcome of this performance, the greatest benefit would ultimately belong to Gu Xiechen; no one would snatch this ancient Celestial Court from his grasp.

Watching others sweat and bleed to attain what would eventually be his, this feeling was truly wonderful.

After triumphantly waving his arms and roaring for a bit, Gu Xiechen, like a greedy Rakshasa ghost, pulled out another foul-smelling lamb leg and began to chew on it proudly.

The Lotus Nine Palaces Array had advanced nearly ten thousand miles. Silver light beams continued to lash out from the void, but they merely shattered dozens of glittering jewels swaying in the air, unable to stop the advance of the Nine Palaces Array in the slightest.

Finally, a pale silver cloud suddenly manifested in the void, and tens of billions of silver lights converged into a colossal Buddha's palm, a thousand miles in circumference. Perhaps due to the astonishing defense of the Lotus Nine Palaces Array, the restriction actively deployed a powerful countermeasure. This Buddha's palm was dozens of times larger than the previous one and hundreds of times more powerful. As soon as the massive palm formed, it descended directly from the high heavens, accompanied by universal chants and golden clouds.

Little Daoist Zhang suddenly burst into laughter, a sound clearly audible across tens of thousands of miles. The Grand Purity Talisman in his hand suddenly shot a beam of green light straight toward the sky. This seemingly delicate, hazy green stream of air barely touched the Buddha's palm in the void before the palm instantly disintegrated.

Kshhh! A dull thud sounded repeatedly. The green light emitted from the Grand Purity Talisman swept through the void, and in the blink of an eye, the surrounding sky and the white clouds below were dyed a pale cyan. Countless golden Buddha seals rapidly flashed in the void; each seal, as soon as it appeared, was immediately ground to dust by the cyan light, causing a shower of faint golden light rain to sprinkle down.

The Three-Linked Cities suddenly moved. The restrictive power that had bound the Cities, preventing them from moving in that stretch of void, vanished completely. Great Brahma and the others rejoiced. They immediately remotely controlled the Three-Linked Cities, allowing them to rise lightly and follow Little Daoist Zhang and the others slowly toward the Southern Heavenly Gate.

The multitude of Guardian Heavens cheered and danced with joy, their hearts filled with boundless yearning as they watched the Southern Heavenly Gate draw nearer.

Great Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu also burst into uproarious, triumphant, and unrestrained laughter.

But the Three-Linked Cities had traveled less than a hundred thousand miles when the void suddenly sank, and an immense pressure descended from above, trapping the Cities in place once more. The golden Buddha seals still shattering in the sky flickered, gradually evolving into golden lotuses inlaid with the Wan (Swastika) Buddha seal. These golden lotuses spun rapidly, grinding the cyan light shot from the Grand Purity Talisman into fine pieces.

A Buddha's palm spanning ten thousand miles materialized, bearing a terrifying power ten thousand times greater than the previous strike, aiming straight down toward the Lotus Nine Palaces Array. The closer the palm approached the Lotus Nine Palaces Array, the smaller it shrank, gradually reducing to only about ten feet in circumference.

At this moment, the Buddha's palm was indistinguishable from a living hand; one could even discern the spiral fingerprints on the fingers.

Gu Xiechen clearly sensed the aura of the Dual Sages of Buddhism within the Buddha's palm. The power of this single strike was almost equivalent to a blow delivered by the Dual Sages of Buddhism in person. Without any light, without any sound, this palm gently pressed down.

One strike, and millions of pearl treasures were instantly pulverized. The great serpent wept hysterically, waves of tears pouring down like water, and countless tiny silver snakes shot forth toward the Buddha's palm.

But as soon as the silver snakes flew up, still several dozen feet away from the palm, a fragrance carrying the scent of sandalwood drifted over, and the countless silver snakes instantly vanished into nothingness. The great serpent spewed blood from all nine hundred and ninety-nine mouths; what erupted were no longer tears, but thick, viscous blood plasma.

From thousands of miles away, the onlookers clearly heard the sound of bones exploding within the serpent. Water blisters erupted all over the serpent's body, and sharp bone spurs constantly pierced through the skin blisters, extending outside its body. Large amounts of bloody fluid erupted, making it seem as though the serpent and the Daoists standing on it were bathing in blood.

The eight white elephants roared simultaneously, exhaling forcefully. Eight rays of dazzling golden light shot from their nostrils, coalescing into a golden canopy that met the descending Buddha's palm from the sky. However, the palm's descent was utterly unimpeded; the golden canopy was crushed into powder effortlessly.

The white elephants let out shrill wails. With the canopy destroyed, their eight long trunks were completely shattered into a bloody pulp. Tears rolled from the elephants' eyes; they wailed piteously, collapsing onto the lotuses.

The countless dewdrops on the lotuses simultaneously emitted golden light. Billions of runes appeared around Little Daoist Zhang and the others. These incantations, blessed by Kashyapa and the collective ascetic immortals, unleashed a dazzling and horrifying power.

A small, pale-gold Mount Meru materialized out of thin air above the Nine Palaces Array. The massive mental force of Kashyapa and the ascetic immortals transferred the image of Mount Meru from the Western Pure Land here, providing distant protection over the heads of Little Daoist Zhang and the others.

Although it was merely a projection of the true Mount Meru, Mount Meru is eternal and indestructible, and its projection was incredibly solid, even thousands of times more durable than the sarira cultivated by the great virtuous monks of Buddhism.

Yet, under this Buddha's palm, this projection of Mount Meru was a joke. The palm pressed down only three inches before Mount Meru collapsed with a crash. The countless dewdrops on the lotuses instantly dried up, and the immortals like Kashyapa watching from the wall of the Three-Linked Cities simultaneously staggered back a few steps, spitting out a mouthful of thick, bloody essence.

It happened faster than words could describe. As the Buddha's palm was about to crush Little Daoist Zhang and the others, Master Xuandu, Yunzhongzi, and Zhao Gongming, leading the other five Daoists standing on the outer eight lotuses, simultaneously raised the Dharma artifacts in their hands. They loudly chanted the True Words of the Supreme Old Master on Morality, and the thirty percent Mana from the Three-Linked Cities beneath their feet transformed into a multicolored, dazzling, fluctuating treasure light, like a glass bead spinning in daylight, shooting toward the sky. This surge of treasure light easily held back the downward pressure of the Buddha's palm overhead.

Daoist Little Zhang and Daoist Zhengyi simultaneously waved the Grand Pure Talismans in their hands. Two streams of green energy intertwined to form a Taiji Bagua diagram, shooting straight toward the Buddha's palm. In an instant, the palm was shredded into pieces, scattering into countless faint motes of light that sprinkled everywhere.

Daoist Little Zhang let out a long laugh. He clenched his fists and swept them toward the void, instantly causing countless specks of gold dust to rain down. As this gold dust settled on the great serpent and the eight-headed white elephant, the serpent's wounds rapidly healed, and its broken bones were swiftly repaired. The eight-headed white elephant's shattered nose grew back; in the blink of an eye, both the serpent and the elephant were restored to their original condition.

The great serpent let out a mournful cry to the heavens. Its body shifted, coiling into a serpent mountain. Then, its massive maw opened, spitting out another stream of seven-colored light.

Nearly thirty thousand pieces of assorted jewelry spanned the void, transforming into a magnificent rainbow above everyone's heads. It was evident that this great serpent had pulled out its most cherished dowry. With every piece of jewelry spat out, its tears burst forth like fountains, spraying tens of miles around.

Every single one of these jewels was the finest of the finest, each one dazzlingly bright, imbued with infinite radiant essence. Even with Gu Xiechen's discerning eye, accustomed to the innate materials of the Chaos, he had to admit that these jewels were truly extraordinary in quality. If they were handed over to Daoist Chen, and he were then allowed to hunt a few chaotic exotic beasts in the Chaos to extract their divine souls and infuse them into artifacts, he could forge at least a few innate artifacts of considerable power.

To think that a single ancient great serpent possessed such a rich foundation of wealth, Gu Wuchen couldn't help but cast a greedy, evil glint toward the Naga kings. How many more astonishing things were hidden in their bellies? When time permitted, he resolved to plunder them all.

The Lotus Nine Palaces Array continued its advance. Once the Buddha's palm was shattered, Sanlian City also regained its mobility. Great Brahma and the others immediately controlled Sanlian City, following closely behind the Lotus Nine Palaces Array as it flew forward. The two advanced one after the other toward the South Heaven Gate, closing the distance by several million miles in the blink of an eye.

The silver rain of light no longer descended from the void; instead, it was replaced by incredibly heavy clods of earth that rained down continuously.

These clods of earth were as small as fists, while the largest were as big as an entire city. Yet, it was feared that even the smallest clod of earth weighed as much as the entire mass of a highly condensed neutron star in the mortal realm.

At first, the clods of earth fell sporadically. Wisps of cloud essence rose from the Lotus Nine Palaces Array, capable of fending off these attacks. However, as the Nine Palaces Array moved forward, the sky began to pour down masses of these earth clods as if it were raining.

The immense weight, combined with terrifying high-speed impacts, struck the Nine Palaces Array, causing it to shake violently. Even the stabilizing power of the Earth could not withstand the bombardment of stellar might. The bodies of the great serpent and the eight-headed white elephant swayed precariously, and the sounds of cracking bones echoed from within them simultaneously.

Gu Xiechen clung to the city wall, chuckling as he watched Daoist Little Zhang and Grand Master Xuandu performing what looked like arcane gestures and chanting spells. Since they had volunteered to brave the restrictions within, they were clearly fully prepared. How could this innate Wutu Restriction possibly harm them? They were merely putting on a show to fool Great Brahma and the others.

As Gu Xiechen watched with amusement, the void suddenly darkened, and a deafening roar, so powerful it made his ears throb, plunged down from the high heavens.

Even with Gu Xiechen's current monstrous physical toughness, his ears swelled painfully. The Corpse Emperor and the others had already ruptured their eardrums, spewing great torrents of blood from all seven orifices. Those true Guardian Celestials beside him all spat blood and collapsed limply onto the ground. Some of the ascetic immortals, whose bodies were frail and aged beyond endurance, let out miserable shrieks and had their physical forms shattered to death by the colossal sound. Looking up hastily, Gu Wuchen couldn't help but be startled.

In the void, millions of expressionless Yellow Turban Warriors, purely condensed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, were lifting massive mountains and frantically hurling them down at Sanlian City and the Lotus Nine Palaces Array. The first yellow mountain descending rapidly was the exact size of the surface area of one tier of Sanlian City, casting the entire structure under a dense shadow.

If every fist-sized clod of earth weighed as much as a neutron star, how much would a mountain that vast weigh?

His eyes darted around. Gu Xiechen let out a fake shriek, tossed the mutton leg in his hand far away, and wildly waved his arms as he jumped down from the city wall. Jumping down was one thing, but using the momentum of his descent, he swung around and threw two stunned Asura generals, who were frozen on the spot, out beyond the protection of Sanlian City.

These two Asura generals, standing dumbfounded as the mountains crashed down upon them, were about a thousand feet tall and considered powerful figures among the Asura clan. Suddenly tossed into the sky by a Rakshasa ghost only a few dozen feet tall, these two Asuras hadn't grasped that anything was amiss.

Rudely thrown into mid-air, the two Asura generals roared toward the sky, their bodies instantly expanding to ten thousand miles high. They waved their hundreds of branching arms, raising heavy steel sabers and battle axes, and fiercely chopped down at the great mountain plummeting from the sky.

With two miserable howls, these two Asuras, whose cultivation level was that of a Mid-grade Grand Luo Golden Immortal, were smashed into paste and mud by the mountain. Blood rained down like a tide, and the mountain, which had been descending rapidly, heavily impacted above Sanlian City.

A seven-colored demonic light shot up into the sky, tenaciously supporting the descending mountain. Every lotus pond in Sanlian City emitted a blinding, brilliant light. Low chants resonated through heaven and earth, and countless Guardian Celestials simultaneously began singing sacrificial songs. The demonic light swept out, and the mountain that had crushed the two Asura generals vanished into thin air.

But in the next instant, one hundred and seventy consecutive, incredibly heavy mountains whistled down, slamming into Sanlian City one after another.

Sanlian City faintly trembled. The myriad demonic runes on its surface flashed rapidly, and the seven-colored demonic light swept out repeatedly; with every sweep, one mountain disappeared without a trace. These mountains, purely condensed from the innate Upper Earth Qi, were shredded by Sanlian City's demonic light and transformed into energy reserves for the city.

Relying on endless restrictions and magic arrays, Sanlian City's defense reached an astonishing level; the restrictions here posed absolutely no threat to the city's safety. However, an immense, profound Buddhist force spontaneously generated in the void, and Sanlian City was once again locked down, rendered completely immobile.

Gu Xiechen nodded secretly. The first restriction was the Geng Metal Restriction; the second was the Wutu Restriction. The area outside the South Heaven Gate was already laid out with the restrictions of the Five Elements of Innate Qi, and their power was despairingly great. Grand Master Xuandu and the others had chosen a fine place to calculate! A mountain plummeted overhead, its speed comparable to lightning.

The over thirty thousand exceptionally fine jewels above the Lotus Nine Palaces Array were instantly pulverized. The great serpent wept hysterically, its tears mixed with blood spraying for thousands of miles. The wails of the serpent could be heard everywhere: "My savings, painstakingly gathered bit by bit! Wuwu, I wouldn't even bring these out for my wedding back then! Wuwu, they're all gone!"

Tears streamed down the serpent's face as it wept. The kings of the Naga clan lowered their heads in shame. Vishnu's eyes rolled back, so angry he nearly choked. Why had he chosen such a stingy serpent to go out and embarrass them?

Countless Yellow Turban Warriors in the void were still continuously manifesting mountains out of thin air and hurling them down onto the ground.

Daoist Little Zhang waved his hand, and another stream of Taiji graphic green energy spurted from the Grand Pure Talisman. Countless sword auras shot out from the two fish eyes of the Taiji diagram. Brilliant sword qi crisscrossed the heavens, hacking off the heads of the Yellow Turban Warriors one after another. These warriors possessed no sentience; they were merely puppets attracted by the restrictions and arrays to condense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Therefore, when the sword qi approached, they did not dodge at all.

The countless sword auras flew wildly throughout the void, instantly slaughtering the Yellow Turban Warriors completely, thus shattering more than half of this restriction.

Daoist Zhengyi also raised the Grand Pure Talisman in his hand and gave it a sharp shake. Three balls of Jade Pure colored divine thunder shot up toward the heavens. In the blink of an eye, three earth-shattering thunder claps sounded. The three balls of thunder flashed through the void, instantly blasting three vast gaps in the space stretching for ten million miles. Vaguely visible within were countless Buddhist restrictions shattering with a crash, and the phantom images of numerous Yellow Turban Warriors scattered in the wind. With the restriction broken, a large amount of Wutu essence qi poured down from the high heavens, striking the Lotus Nine Palaces Array like massive mountains.

With a colossal boom, the protective brilliance above the Lotus Nine Palaces Array shattered. The seven-colored demonic light spewed out from the golden lotus, coiling up like a halo, barely managing to block the final backlash of the Wutu essence qi.

However, even this seven-colored demonic light was torn by a sliver of dense Wutu essence qi. This gap, by chance, grazed Daoist Little Zhang's shoulder, turning half of his shoulder into a splatter of blood plasma that sprayed far away. Fortunately, this layer of Wutu Restriction had already been shattered at this point; otherwise, Daoist Little Zhang would likely have suffered even greater hardship.

The Lotus Nine Palaces Array halted. Daoist Little Zhang used a demonic technique to repair his shoulder, then hurriedly flew back to Sanlian City, driving the array. Daoist Little Zhang swiftly flew his escape light to the front of Great Brahma and the others, kneeling before them with utmost respect.

"Esteemed Seniors, the restrictions outside the South Heaven Gate originate from the hands of the Two Sages of Buddhism and are truly extraordinary in power. As the Seniors have witnessed, even the Lotus Nine Palaces Array cannot completely withstand the destructive power of these restrictions."

Daoist Little Zhang spoke eloquently, presenting his demand: Sanlian City must halt its advance, and all the magic power stored in Sanlian City must be channeled entirely into the Lotus Nine Palaces Array. Only after the array had broken all the restrictions outside the South Heaven Gate could Sanlian City proceed further.

Great Brahma and the others exchanged glances, then all looked toward Vishnu.

Faint threads of firelight subtly emanated from Vishnu's eyes. He scrutinized Daoist Little Zhang up and down, then glanced at the disciples from Kunlun and Zhongnan, nodding with satisfaction. "The primordial spirits of all Kunlun and Zhongnan disciples are still tightly sealed by my restriction. There is no need to fear these long-nosed Taoists pulling any strange stunts."

As long as Vishnu merely wished it, the tens of millions of disciples from the Kunlun and Zhongnan sects would turn to dust. What did it matter if all of Sanlian City's magic power was given to them?

With a command from Great Brahma, Kayashopa led countless ascetic immortals to the lotus ponds of Sanlian City. Again, they began dancing and singing sacrificial songs, commencing a strict grand sacrificial rite.

Following the songs and dances of the immortals, the vast magic power within Sanlian City's energy core—the power of the ancient demon gods sealed from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths—surged out as a seven-colored torrent, rapidly injecting into the nine golden lotuses of the Lotus Nine Palaces Array.

Excluding the structural integrity of Sanlian City itself and its myriad restrictive magic arrays, relying solely on this massive surge of magic power, the Lotus Nine Palaces Array attained seventy percent of Sanlian City's defensive strength. Once Sanlian City lost this immense magic power, its defense plummeted straight back to the state it was in when it was first created. Even the incredible restorative power within Sanlian City was diminished tenfold.

Daoist Little Zhang thanked Great Brahma and the others with ecstatic joy, then hurriedly rushed back to the Lotus Nine Palaces Array.

Gu Xiechen smiled faintly. He secretly transformed into an ascetic immortal, pushed through the crowd, and finally arrived beside Great Brahma. The elderly immortal with the illusory white beard rolled his eyes and asked with apparent confusion, "Strange, since these restrictions were personally laid out by the Two Sages of Buddhism, why could they be broken so easily by a single talisman?" Great Brahma was momentarily stunned, while Vishnu and Shiva both trembled throughout their bodies.

Indeed, since the restriction was personally established by the Two Sages of Buddhism, Great Brahma and the others had personally experienced its terrifying power. If so, why could a talisman circulating within the Kunlun and Zhongnan sects for untold years break this restriction so effortlessly?

Great Brahma and the others knew the true capabilities of Kunlun and Zhongnan. Let alone having only one-thousandth of their cultivation methods, they didn't even possess a single decent divine weapon. How could they still possess such a powerful talisman? If they had such an artifact, why would they have been reduced to such a pathetic state by the Dao of the Nine Hells?

With a cold snort, Vishnu silently recited an incantation, fixing his gaze on the body of a core disciple from the Kunlun school, activating the primordial spirit restriction he had placed upon him. A faint ghostly light flickered in Vishnu's eyes—his restriction had been successfully activated. However, the core disciple from Kunlun hadn't even lost a single strand of hair. Great Brahma and Shiva simultaneously asked in low voices, "How is it?"

Vishnu sat upright on his seat without changing his expression and stated quietly, "They have slipped from my control... All the magic power painstakingly collected by Sanlian City over the years has fallen into their hands. That torrent of magic power is potent enough—enough, enough, enough to propel several cultivators of sufficient attainment infinitely close to the Saintly realm, allowing them to forcefully achieve enlightenment through strength." Great Brahma and Shiva's hearts sank, but their expressions remained unchanged.

Enlightenment through strength! They immediately thought of Grand Master Xuandu and the others, the disciples of the Three Pure Ones. Given their constant attendance upon the Three Pure Ones, their cultivation must have already reached a point just one step away from the Saintly realm. As long as they had enough magical power to support them, they indeed had the potential to forcefully cross a certain threshold and break through to sainthood.

Even if their cultivation was insufficient, if they were hidden within the Lotus Nine Palaces Array leading the way, they could enter the Thirty-Three Heaven Palaces unimpeded. If they could seize control of the various operational hubs within the Celestial Palace and grasp a shred of the Heavenly Dao laws contained therein, this comprehension alone would be enough to compensate for their insufficient cultivation. Great Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu exchanged glances and issued quiet instructions to the confidants standing nearby. Gu Xiechen, disguised as the immortal, had long since moved away from them, chuckling as he hid to the side.

With the immense magic power of Sanlian City bolstering their defenses, the Lotus Nine Palaces Array broke through everything in its path straight into the South Heaven Gate, successfully shattering all the restrictions outside. A tremendous crash sounded from the South Heaven Gate, and vast amounts of spiritual light erupted across the sky, causing the entire celestial sphere to brighten momentarily.

This brilliant light swept away the dense clouds behind the South Heaven Gate, and wisps of golden spiritual energy continually spurted forth from the haze. Gradually, a resplendent Celestial Palace slowly emerged from the clouds.

Although it was only the first tier of the Thirty-Three Heavens, the majestic atmosphere it revealed was enough to silence the Guardian Celestials who witnessed it. Gu Xiechen gazed at the Celestial Palace from afar. This was the First Heaven of the Thirty-Three Heavens. "You are mine!" Gu Xiechen murmured softly.

The first update is here. The pig-head didn't get enough sleep today; he was woken up by the firecrackers from people moving houses early this morning and couldn't sleep anymore. 00 I'll go catch 30 minutes of sleep now, and I'll try to get the second chapter updated when I wake up. F